Seaside’s Parade of Champions urges people to take to the streets while Highland Otis Park suggest people and kids can park it.

• There’s a new First Friday in town – the town being Pacific Grove. It runs 5-8pm and suggests there “might be” live music, complimentary refreshments, giveaways, art receptions. Look for the tell-tale green flags that denote that a place is part of the festivities. firstfridaypg@gmail.com.

• There is an awesome children’s book called The Streets Are Free, about kids in a Venezuela barrio who organize to build a playground. As reported in the Weekly, the Otis Park Neighborhood Association can relate. Celebrate their beautification of Highland Otis Park at Mingo and Mendocino in Seaside 11am Saturday.

• The Seaside Parade of Champions is a longstanding local pride event with military units, marching bands, cheerleaders, clowns, classic cars, horses, motorcycle riders, organizations and more, across Fremont from Broadway to Harcourt starting noon Sunday. 915-8293, seasidepoc@gmail.com.

• PacRep’s Specticast Encore Series continues with a screening 7pm Sunday of The Doors – Live at the Bowl ‘68, digitally remastered and projected on the Golden Bough’s 28-foot screen ($10-$15). Monte Verde between Eighth and Ninth, Carmel, 622-0100, www.pacrep.org.

• Cellist Jari Piper, the 2013 Young Alaskan Artist of the Year, heads south from his home in Montreal to stop by Henry Miller Memorial Library 7:30pm Sunday ($10-$20 donation appreciated) to play, and enjoy a respite from northern mosquito season.

• Watch this. Surfrider Monterey Chapter and the Forest Theater Guild co-sponsor the Wednesday, July 10, Films in the Forest screening of documentary Minds in the Water in which Australian surfer and animal rights activist David Rastovich drums up support for the ocean. It’s $10 for this refreshing cause at the Outdoor Forest Theater (8:30pm, Santa Rita and Mountain View, Carmel, 419-0917).

• Janie Brunson has brought pride to her home of Monterey. She placed third in her division at the June 22 National Braille Challenge, the “only national academic competition for blind students in the country.” From an original field of 1,000 of the brightest visually impaired students from 39 states and three Canadian provinces, she competed in her varsity category in braille reading, typing and comprehension. The Braille Institute sponsors the competition to promote braille literacy in blind students so that they can thrive against sighted peers. Brunson is attending UCLA this fall.

• Here is a duet of beautiful music. Alisal Center for the Fine Arts is partnering with Guitars Not Guns to provide eight weeks of free beginning guitar lessons to 10 lucky kids (5-6pm Tuesdays and Thursday from July 9-Aug. 20) at the Breadbox Recreation Center at 745 N. Sanborn Road in Salinas. The sought-after slots are first come first served. 758-7908.